Monday, 11 July 2016

ISIS, JMB Recruiting Youths in WB Border Districts: Police

ISIS, JMB Recruiting Youths in WB Border Districts: Police

Unemployed youths, primarily from the Muslim community, are
being roped in by terror groups like ISIS and JMB to expand their
networks in border districts of West Bengal. Jamaatul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has been targeting these youths and ISIS too could be following its tactics.

The recent arrest of 25-year-old Mohammed Musiruddin has exposed the
presence of the terror group in the state, particularly in the districts
bordering Bangladesh, including Burdwan, Murshidabad and Birbhum, a top
CID official of West Bengal said on the condition of anonymity.
The
group (JMB) has also spread in different pockets of the city, the
official said, describing the Khagragarh blast in 2014 as a clinching
proof of the existence of its bases in the state. Even NIA, in its
supplementary charge sheet in connection with the Khagragarh blast, had
claimed that JMB had been recruiting youths from the border districts of
West Bengal.
The official described the recruitment process thus:

Unemployed youths are the main targets of terror
groups. JMB had been doing that and the ISIS has started the same
process. They have handlers who supervise one to two districts and keep a
tab on educated but unemployed youths including girls in the age group
of 16-30 years, preferably from the Muslim community. The brainwashing
starts from the first meeting which helps them convince the youth to
join the group. And from there, they are moved to the training camps in
the bordering districts

ISIS, JMB are one

Intelligence Bureau
officials say that the ISIS tapped the JMB due the large network the
group has in Bangladesh and India. The ISIS inspires and funds the
attacks to be carried out by the JMB. It is a worrisome situation as the
network of the JMB is deeply infested in India, the IB says.

The
extent of the network laid out by the JMB was witnessed after the
Burdhwan blast probe. Nearly 500 of its operatives were active in Bengal
and Assam, the probe found.

In the probe it was also found that
several bombs were being prepared in the bomb factories of Bengal. The
same was meant to be transported to Bangladesh where a series of blasts
were meant to be triggered off.
Officials say that the JMB-ISI
nexus is not restricted to Bengal and Assam alone. They have a strong
network in these states, but were planning on expanding operations into
Jammu and Kashmir as well. A major operation was being planned in
Srinagar.

One of the operatives was asked to carry out a
reconnaissance at Dal Lake. The ISIS was happy with the plan of carrying
out a stabbing attack on foreigners at the Dal Lake. However, the
operation was foiled thanks to the security agencies.

Officials say that there would be more attempts to create a network in
J&K. IB officials have advised high alert since operatives of the
ISIS and the JMB may also try to take advantage of the unrest that is
prevalent in the Valley today.